Manufacture of gas from garbage.



R. THOMAS.

MANUFACTURE OF GAS FROM GARBAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1910.

969,733. Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

' UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT THOMAS, 011 SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, .A SSIGNOR TO THE THOMASGAS LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY, OF TACOM WASHINGTON. I

MANUFACTURE OF GAS FROM GARBAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

Application filed March i5, 1910. Serial No. 549,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 'it known that I, ROBERT THOMAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and county of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in L'Ianufactureof Gas from Garbage, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the manufacture of gas fromgarbage, and

to produce by distillation a gas which is suitable for fuel andilluminating purposes,

and a residue which may afterward be em ploycd for various purposes forwhich such residue. may be suitable.

My invention consists in the mixing and combination with the garbage ot'a certain proportion of sodium carbonate, sulfate of iron, and chloridof ammonia, and with a proportion of water, and. the subsequentdistillation of the mixture, and the separation ot the gas tlms producedfrom the remain- ,iug residue.

in the accom )anvin drawiu. l i ure l is 1 b h t" a, part sectional viewand part elevation of an apparatus suitable for carrying out mymvention. Fig. 2 1s a side elevation ot the ,revoluble mixer.

,corporattal in a mixer, and afterward are placed in a retort, andheated to a point where tin-gas will be separated out and conveyedthrough the usual cooling,- washing and separating mechanism.

1 have herein shown an apparatus by which this process may be carricdout, in which Fig. 1 shows a mixcr revoluble upon an axis, and having anopening through which the material may be introduct-d, said opcningbcing at'tcrward hermoticallv closcd and the apparatus revolved untilthc mixing is complete. From this oint it is then placed in a retort, asat. 2, and subjcctcd to the heatol' a furnace, the

lbs. of sulfate of iron, 9, of a 1b.,

temperature bciu raised until the gas begins to pass oft tirough thepipe 3. From this it passes through a condenser 4, and thence the pipedischarges into a well 5 in v which the iqnid residue is received, whilethe gas rising through it, passes out through the pipe (3, thencethrough the water-seal, and into the gasometer 7, from which it may bewithdrawn for use through a pipe as at; The residue from the chamber 5may pass out through the pipe 9, and into a receiver it). y

it. will be understood thatv this apparatus represents any suitablevariation which may be protitably used for the operation.

The action ot the. sodium carbonate, sulfate of iron, and chlor .ofammonia, is such as to destroy the odors.arising from the garbage, andthe action of'these ingredients when distilled in the mixture, producesa continuous flow of gas, which is comparatircly pure. and ota highilluminating or heating power. i

llaring tlms described my invention,what. I claim and dcsire to secureby Letters latout is- 1. The herein described improvement inmanufacturing gas from garbage, said improvement consisting in firstseparatin the organic from the inorganic portions o? the garbage, thenmixing with said organic substances a proportion of sodium carbonate,sulfate of iron and chlorid of ammonia, and finally distilling the massin a suitable retort, and separating the gas from residue which distilsover with it.

2. The improvement in manufacture of gas from garbage, said improvenientconsisting in mixing sodium carbonate, sulfate ol iron, and chlorid ofammonia with the organic matter of the garbage, and a proportion ofmoisture, subjecting the mass to dcstriwtive distillation in a retort,passing the volatile products through a condenser,- .separating thegases from the remaining residue, passing the gas through a waterscalinto a gasomcter, and the residue into a separate rcccptaclc.

in testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing w it tn'sscs.

ROBERT THOMAS.

\\'itnesses:

(i. ll. S'rnoNo, CHARLES H. lnlvrinm.

